Camping
by rnoele
Summary: The Anderson's go camping. But when Cooper loses his temper both him and Blaine find themselves in big trouble. Three-shot.
1. Chapter 1

It was rare the Anderson's got to go on a family vacation. So when Mr. and Mrs. Anderson had sat four-year old Blaine and twelve-year old Cooper down on the living room couch they both were buzzing with excited curiosity.

John Anderson looked distractedly at his cell phone as Chloe smiled at her two sons.

"Boys your father and I have exciting news!" She said with a bit too much enthusiasm.

"Are we finally sending Blainey to the circus where he belongs?" Cooper asked as he tickled Blaine's ribs.

The small boy let out a loud laugh. "COOOPER! I don't belong in the circus! Only clowns like you get to go to the circus!"

Cooper laughed and mussed Blaine's curls. "I guess your right buddy."

"Alright boys settle down, your mother is trying to tell you something." John spoke up as he looked up momentarily from his phone.

Their father's stern voice immediately settled the boys as Chloe began to speak again.

"Boys, your father and I have decided to take a family camping trip."

"CAMPING!" Blaine shrieked as he started to bounce up and down on the couch.

"Blaine! No jumping on the furniture!" John's voice rose above the four-year olds excitement.

Blaine immediately stopped and curled into Cooper's side. Cooper put an arm around his brother and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Sounds awesome! When do we leave?" Cooper asked trying to distract Blaine from the sting of his father's reprimands.

"We are going this weekend. We will leave early Friday morning, your father and I will be taking off work. Isn't that exciting boys?" Chloe said forcing a smile.

"Ya, that's great mom. We can't wait!" Cooper replied. "Isn't that exciting Blainers?"

Blaine nodded his head afraid that any other reaction would illicit a harsh reaction from his father.

When there parents left the room to take important phone calls or to check their email Cooper pulled Blaine into his lap, he bent down low and began to whisper in his brother's ear.

"Blaine, don't worry about mom and dad. This is going to be the best camping trip ever."

Blaine looked up at his brother with wide eyes. "Promise?"

"Ya, I promise." Cooper said standing up from the couch. "Now, how about we go start to pack?"

Blaine nodded as he hugged Cooper's neck. "Can I bring my Spiderman backpack?"

"Only if I can bring my Batman one." Cooper teased.

Blaine nodded before jumping out of Cooper's arms. "Cooper let's race!" He cried as his little legs ran towards the stairs.

Cooper laughed as he chased Blaine up the stairs.

The car ride to the campsite seemed to last forever. Luckily Blaine feel asleep about an hour in so Cooper didn't have to worry about keeping a four-year old occupied while his parents "concentrated on the road".

Finally by mid-afternoon the car pulled to a stop in front of a small camping ground.

"Are we here?" Cooper asked looking out the windows of the car.

"Yes Cooper we are here. I am going to check us in and then we will drive to our campsite." Chloe said as she slid out of the car and walked into the small camp store. "Dad, will the campsite be by the lake I wan.." Cooper began before he was shushed by his father.

"Cooper, please be quite I am on the phone."

Cooper sunk back into the seat with a sigh. As much as he loved the fact that his parents had brought him and Blaine camping he knew it wouldn't matter where they were. Their parents would still be the same absent parents who made work their priority.

After a few minutes Chloe finally emerged from the camp store with a small bag of supplies and a map in hand. She got in the car and started to direct her husband to the campsite.

Cooper was surprised how far the site was from the main part of camp. The finally pulled up to a small clearing about a mile away from the camp store. Their camp site was surrounded by woods and seemed to be the only one out this far. John and Chloe got out of the car and started to unpack. "Cooper, can you wake Blaine up and have him help you set up your tent?" Chloe asked as she pulled out her suitcase.

"Sure mom." Cooper said with a smile. Cooper stroked his brother's cheek softly. "Hey B, wake up. We're here."

Blaine squirmed against the seat before his eyes fluttered open. "Coo?" he murmured.

"Ya, Blainey. You need to wake up we are here."

Blaine shot up quickly. "Camping?"

Cooper laughed. "Ya, camping. Now come on I need your help setting up our tent."  
>Blaine's eyes widened in excitement as he crawled across the seat and out of the car, as he got out he looked back at Cooper who was still in the car; "Cooper! Come on! We are camping!"<p>

"Alright Blainers. I am coming."


	2. Chapter 2

The first part of the weekend seemed like a dream. Cooper took Blaine up to the lake to fish. Well, at least that is what Cooper thought they were going to do but when the got close to the water Blaine couldn't resist running into the shallow part and thus scaring away any of the fish that were near. Other activities included Cooper showing Blaine how to make the perfect s'more and also sharing their best stories while looking up at the stars.

The weekend was all but perfect. Cooper just wished their parents would join in on their fun. Most of the time Chloe was up at the camp store using their one computer to access email while their father walked around the campsite with his phone held to the sky trying to get signal. The only time their parents weren't absorbed in their work was at mealtimes. Cooper couldn't help but feel a good amount of resentment towards his parents for both abandoning him but more for not paying a single amount of attention to Blaine who was still so little. As much as Cooper wanted to shout as his parents he knew that him getting angry would ruin the trip and he couldn't do that to Blaine. So Cooper kept his mouth shut as he once again took the place of his parents for Blaine.

On Saturday evening after a dinner of hot dogs and pasta salad both of the Anderson parents had returned to their work. Cooper was busy in the tent picking out a pair of pajamas for Blaine when he heard a crash come form outside the tent. Cooper scrambled out and looked towards the coolers where the food for the trip was kept. He immediately noticed that the one that held the chocolate and the marshmallows was overturned. Cooper looked up from the mess to see Blaine standing with his head down and tears in his eyes.

Cooper's anger got the best of him. "BLAINE! What did you do?" he shouted.

Blaine's head shut up. Cooper saw even more tears well in his little brothers eyes before Blaine turned and ran as fast as he could into the surrounding woods.

Cooper ran a hand over his face. He screwed up. He knew it. "Blaine! Come back. Blainer's please come back I am sorry." When Blaine didn't come out of the woods Cooper took off at full sprint to find his brother.

Cooper ran for a few minutes before stopping and looking around. Blaine was only four he couldn't have gotten too far. "Blaine, come out buddy. I'm sorry I didn't mean to yell. Blaine!" Cooper called into the woods. He had to find Blaine and fast. The sun was setting fast and the woods were getting darker by the moment.

Suddenly he heard a loud crack and a sharp cry he took off running in the direction of the noise. Cooper ran about 50 feet before spying a small lump lying on the forest floor. His heart stopped in his chest as he ran over to the small body.

"Blaine, Blainers. Blaine can you hear me?" Cooper said as he hit his knees.

Blaine small body was trembling and tears were streaming down his cheeks. "Cooper. I fell." Blaine said with a sniff.

"Blaine what happened how did you fall?" Cooper asked as his hands fluttered uselessly over his brother.

"The tree broke I fell. Cooper it hurts." Blaine replied weakly.

Cooper's breathing sped up as he realized that Blaine was hurt. It was rare that his little brother would admit to such a thing so he knew if the four-year old was saying something was hurting it was serious.

"Blainey, what hurts buddy?"

"My leg. Cooper it hurts I want mommy."

Cooper looked down as his brother leg there wasn't any blood but it his knee was twisted at an odd angle. Cooper knew it was broken.

"Ok Blaine. I am going to get you to mommy. Ok just hold tight I will get you out of here." Cooper began to lift Blaine off the ground but stopped when Blaine's cries of pain echoed through the forest.

"Cooper it hurts" Blaine wailed as his face contorted in pain.

Cooper didn't know what to do. Blaine was in too much pain to be carried and Cooper was pretty sure they were too far away from any campsites for anyone to hear him calling for help.

"Blaine I have to carry you to get you to mommy."

"No, Cooper it hurts. Please Cooper it hurts. I want mommy." Blaine's tears increased in volume and his small body began to shake against Cooper hold.

"Shh, Blaine don't cry. It will be ok. Please don't cry." Cooper pleaded as he smoothed Blaine's curls.

Blaine's cries only got stronger and Cooper knew he had no choice. He carefully maneuvered Blaine as to not jostle his injured leg to much and started to run back towards his family's camp. Blaine cried hard as Cooper ran but he knew that the sooner he got him back to camp the sooner Blaine would be ok.


	3. Chapter 3

Cooper felt like he had run forever and he still hadn't made it back to camp. The forest was nearly pitch black and Blaine was shaking like a leaf in his arms. Cooper wanted to stop but he kept running suddenly his foot caught on a fallen branch. He let out a cry as he and Blaine tumbled to the ground.

"Cooper!" Blaine's voiced yelled as the two fell to the ground. Somehow Cooper managed not to crush Blaine under his weight and instead let his weight fall unto his shoulder causing the joint to let out a loud pop. Cooper let out a yelp as pain shoot up and down his arm. His vision began to blur at the edges and he felt like he might throw up. Cooper lay on the ground fighting to stay awake until he heard a small cry a couple of feet away. _Blaine_. Cooper sat up ignoring the pain in his arm and the way the trees spun around him and made his way to his baby brother. Blaine was laying prone on the forest floor his leg twisted grotesquely and tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Blaine, oh Blaine." Cooper cried as he landed on his knees next to Blaine.

"Coo…I hurt." Blaine stammered his voice weak.

Cooper desperately wanted to pick Blaine up and continue to look for help but he knew his arm would no longer support his brothers weight and he knew Blaine was too weak to hang on to Cooper.

"I know Blainey, its ok I am here." Cooper said gently using his good arm to pull Blaine onto his lap.

"Where's mommy?" Blaine slurred.

"I don't know Blaine. But I will find her. I promise I just need to rest." Cooper said as he shifted Blaine closer.

This caused Blaine to cry out softly as his broken leg was moved.

"Oh Blainey I am sorry, this is al my fault." Cooper said as tears began to form in his own eyes. "I am sorry Blaine."

Blaine's eyes widened as he saw his other brother crying. "I ran away." He whispered.

This caused Cooper tears to fall harder…"No Blaine, this isn't your fault. I shouldn't have gotten mad. I am sorry."

"I wanted a s'more."

"I know buddy, its ok. When we get back you can have all the s'mores you want." Cooper said trying to smile down at Blaine.

Blaine didn't smile back. Cooper could see the pain on his little brothers face. "Cooper it's cold. I want mommy."

Cooper took in a harsh breath, the night air was still quite warm and he knew that Blaine being cold was a bad sign. He pulled Blaine closer trying to transfer some body heat.

"Ok Blaine we are going to be ok." Cooper said both to reassuring his shivering brother and himself.

"Cooper. I'm scared." Blaine said into Cooper's shirt.

"Blainey, don't be scared…its ok." Cooper said as he gently wiped at his brothers cheek.

"Can you sing?" Blaine asked quietly.

Cooper nodded and began to sing one of Blaine's favorite lullabies.

Cooper made it through two songs before Blaine fell asleep his head dropping into Coopers shoulder. Cooper didn't stop signing. He eventually ran out of songs and began to repeat the same old song. He knew Blaine was sleeping but now Cooper wasn't singing for Blaine. He was singing for himself. Cooper sang until his throat became dry and his eyelids became heavy. He fell into a restless sleep still holding Blaine closely to his chest.

Cooper awoke as he heard a faint yell in the distance. His eyes shot open he stopped himself from jumping to his feetbecause Blaine was still asleep against his chest. Instead he cleared his throat and called back.

"We're here! HELP! Please come help us."

He strained his ears to see if the distant voice had heard his pleas.

"Cooper! Blaine!" He heard the voice shout.

"We're here! Help!" Cooper yelled louder.

Blaine woke up with a start at Coopers shouts.

"Cooper?" He asked sleepily.

Cooper looked down at his brother.

"It's ok Blainey. They found us. We are going to be ok."


End file.
